Originally Posted by Mobile 155

I might quibble about your definition of a car.

Originally Posted by Roody

Since nobody else is willing to state a definition definitively (so to speak), I will offer one.

The definition of "living carfree":
No ownership of a car, and a car owned by somebody else is used infrequently.


The definition of "car":
A privately owned motor vehicle, used for non-commercial personal transport.

If everybody can live with that, the definition will be adopted. If there are objections, it won't be adopted.

Let us know what you think!

Originally Posted by Roody

Since nobody else is willing to state a definition definitively (so to speak), I will offer one.

Originally Posted by Roody

If everybody can live with that, the definition will be adopted. If there are objections, it won't be adopted.

Let us know what you think!

Originally Posted by Machka

The trouble with agreeing upon a definition here is that it can then be used as a weapon.

Begone! You and your topic do not qualify according to our cast-in-stone definition of carfree.




If we have any interest at all in the LCF forum being a more welcoming place, we would not get hung up on definitions ... and who belongs and who doesn't.

I prefer to keep the definition loose.

So what if someone who defines themselves as "carfree" uses a taxi to get to the airport a couple times a year, or makes use of a delivery service to have their new television delivered, or walks to the grocery store to buy the food which is delivered there on a daily basis by motor vehicle. Maybe it might be pushing the line a little if a person defines themselves as "carfree" and uses a taxi to get to work 5 days a week. But I'd rather not have some cast-in-stone definition to pull out and whop people over the head with.



And for reference, this is the forum definition:

Originally Posted by Machka

Every time a person chooses to use human power to do something rather than a motor vehicle, it's a good thing ... and there is no need to define or categorise it.

Personally, I'm not about a carfree movement as a whole. I'm more about little steps. Choosing to walk to the grocery store this time, rather than drive. Choosing to park in a central location in town and walking or cycling from there rather than driving to each and every shop. Every little bit counts.

Every little bit of extra human-powered activity gets us just that little bit fitter.

Originally Posted by Machka

And also ... how far do you want to go with it?

Is a person carfree because they themselves do not own a car?

But what about using cars? Are two trips/year to the airport in a taxi allowed ... but a third trip not allowed under the definition? What if a person rents a car for a two-week holiday? Does 2 weeks in a car cancel out 50 weeks of walking and cycling?

And how far does it go? Chances are someone turned up in a motor vehicle for one reason or another when the house you live in was being built ... therefore a car was used in the construction of something you use on a daily basis ... therefore you're not really carfree, are you? Or what about your groceries? Unless you grow/raise everything in your own back yard, I can almost guarantee that a motor vehicle was used somewhere in the process of getting that bag of carrots into your fridge ... even if you walked them there in the last leg of their journey. Oh, and speaking of your fridge ... how did it arrive in your house?


These days, almost no one is truly carfree ... not in an absolute sense. But where do you draw the line ... who do you include? who do you exclude?


IMO all trying to define carfree does is to produce a weapon to be wielded against others, and makes this subforum even less welcoming than it already is.

Originally Posted by Machka

It's a scale ...

On the one end are the people who drive everywhere ... at the other end are the people who have built their houses with trees they've grown and felled, who grow their own food and who make their own clothes and who never make use of any sort of vehicle for any purpose.

The rest of us fall somewhere with in that range.

And where does carlight start?

Is a person car light when they drive to work or take a taxi 5 days a week? Probably not ... but maybe, if they don't use a car at all on weekends and if they walk/cycle to run all their errands.

But what if they only drive or take a taxi 3 days a week? Is that car light? Or 2 days a week?

And at the other end ... what if a person does not own a vehicle and does not take rides in a motor vehicle of any sort. Is that person carfree? Maybe. But what if that person gets deliveries a few times a year? Still carfree .... or not?


There will never be an agreed upon definition of carfree ... nor should their be.

Originally Posted by mstateglfr

Oh boy, I see this came from a 7 page thread about defining the term 'carfree'. I cant wait to read 150+ posts concerning this definition! I would say I am surprised that such a term couldnt be collectively defined within 1 thread and 150+ responses, but...

Originally Posted by RPK79

Is this where the sub-committee on carfree definitions is meeting? Have you brought this meeting to order already? I really hope we can hash it out in this special session of the legislature.

Originally Posted by Walter S

You apparently don't know about the other threads from years past that Matchka found on this same topic.

Originally Posted by Roody

Since nobody else is willing to state a definition definitively (so to speak), I will offer one.

Originally Posted by Roody

The definition of "living carfree":
No ownership of a car, and a car owned by somebody else is used infrequently.


The definition of "car":
A privately owned motor vehicle, used for non-commercial personal transport.

Originally Posted by Machka

Just for fun ... because that's all this is, isn't it ...


I don't own a car. Because a car is defined as a privately owned motor vehicle, used for non-commercial personal transport, a taxi is not a car. Therefore, I can make use of a taxi every single day of the year ... and still be classed as "carfree"!


I don't own a car. The definition indicates I can use a car owned by someone else "infrequently". We haven't defined "infrequent" in this context. Does that mean that I can ride in our van on weekends? Is that infrequent? Or should I limit van rides to once a month? Or is it some percentage of my overall trips like if 10% of my trips are in the van, that's infrequent.


It's really a pointless exercise to try to define something like this seriously. We can have a bit of fun with it and throw ideas around because this is a forum for entertainment purposes ... but fortunately it is not like funding depends upon a definition.

Originally Posted by Roody

What would you prefer? I mainly wanted to exempt people who own and/or drive for a job or for their own business. Like a cake baker who never drives for her own personal needs, but delivers cakes with a car she owns strictly for her business. After all, the title of the forum is LIVING Carfree, not WORKING Carfree.

Originally Posted by Walter S

Why does Living Car Free need a definition? It's not a word. The meaning is right in front of your eyes if you understand English.

I'll give you a hint if your English skills are not strong. "Car free" means "in absence of a car". So Living Car Free means Living in Absence of a Car.

Does that help? If not then you fail the IQ test!